Today Elizabeth, who has a tree-nut allergy that has never needed more than benadryl to fix an occasional accidental ingestion, had a reaction that led me to drive her to the ER, where the ER nurse kindly scolded me for not using the Epipen. I hadn’t wanted to make a big deal out of nothing, and on the way to the ER I was worried I’d be embarrassed for bringing her in for no reason and wasting all that time/money; but VERY quickly it became apparent that we were FAR at the other end of things and I was going to be embarrassed for not making a much bigger deal of it. “And why didn’t you use the Epipen?,” the triage nurse asked. “I’m just wondering if there was a reason,” she explained. I gaped and stammered, and the triage nurse triaged my temperament in a hot second: “Never used it before, didn’t know it was time, gotcha,” she assessed with surprising accuracy, making a note. “I was thinking the Epipen was for more of an emergency,” I said meekly. “This IS an emergency,” said the triage nurse, gesturing toward all of Elizabeth.
This will be familiar to a bunch of you who have dealt with food allergies, but I’d only ever taken people to the emergency room for: (1) stomach pains, (2) an injured elbow from falling off a bike, and (3) a sinus infection when the pediatrician referred us just in case. So I am only familiar with the kind of emergency room visit where you check in, and then wait awhile to see the triage nurse, and then wait for hours in the waiting room, and then finally get brought back to a room, and then wait another hour or more for a doctor, and then wait another hour for an x-ray, and so forth. I was not familiar with the kind of emergency room visit where you start to check in, but as you’re talking to the person at the desk they pick up an intercom and start talking into it. And then the triage nurse comes directly out to get you. And then after only a minute or two the triage nurse takes you directly back to a room, calling out requests (calmly, so calmly) to people along the way, and by the time you reach the room, which is right by the nurse’s station rather than down the hall where you’ve been on previous occasions, you have accumulated five medical people including the actual doctor already, and someone is getting an IV set up, and they don’t leave the room for the patient to change into the hospital gown but instead help her briskly into it. I was not familiar with that kind of ER visit, but now I am.
Here was the allergic reaction Elizabeth had that made me take her to the ER even though I felt like I was making too big a deal of things (she was not having any trouble breathing): she threw up the benadryl we gave her after she accidentally ate some walnut, and she got pink splotches on her neck/shoulders that gradually started spreading down her torso. Those were two of the three things her allergy doctor said were reasons to use the Epipen and then call 911, and so you might be wondering why I didn’t use the Epipen and call 911. I can only explain it by saying that I thought the third thing on the list (trouble breathing) was the REAL one, and that the other two were more of an issue ALONG WITH the trouble breathing. I felt like if I took her to the ER with just the throwing up and the pink skin, they would say “Uh huh…but you say she’s not having any trouble breathing? So…why are you here? And you know it’s not a good idea to use an Epipen if it’s not Really Needed.” It turns out no. It turns out that when the allergist gives you really clear instructions and you don’t follow them, triage nurses say things like “This is WHY WE GIVE OUT Epipens.”
(I don’t think I’m capturing her wry tone correctly, which is a shame. She has a frank/direct manner combined with kindness and humor and unflappability and very high competence. She was assigned to us back when I brought Edward in for his sinus infection and it turned out it was much more serious than they’d initially thought; she came in with the doctor who was coming in to tell us the scary results of the CAT scan, and she stayed with us until we left for the city hospital, and she was such a reassuring presence. Anyway I love her eternally and was so happy and relieved to see her when I arrived with Elizabeth. But she is a little scary and she would like me to use the Epipen next time. And I will! I WILL! NOW I KNOW, AND I WILL!)
Anyway, everything is fine. Elizabeth got epinephrine and benadryl and pepcid and steroids, and then she had to be under observation for three hours, and then we went home with prescriptions for more medications for the next few days.
It’s so hard to know what to do. I was sick a couple of months ago and in the middle of the night I started googling “when should I go to the Emergency room” for all of the same reasons you describe above. (I didn’t want to be the one who came in for a lame reason. When I was talking with a friend (a hospital nurse) a couple of weeks later and was telling her about my experience, she gasped. “You go to ER before you google “when should I go to ER?”.” So hard to know. I’m glad Elizabeth is ok.
In retrospect (pre “internet in your pocket” days), we SHOULD have taken our 1yo (at the time – he is now 13yo) to the ER due to fever & breathing difficulties. But we just…didn’t know. (We took him in the morning to the pediatrician – he had pneumonia but didn’t get hospitalized.)
Omg you poor thing. That is a hell of a thing! I’m so glad she’s okay and I would have thought the EXACT same way!
Ugh, I hate allergic reactions. They’re tricky and awful and like the world’s worst pop quiz.
I’m so glad she’s okay and you had someone kind to let you know you were operating on the next level up with allergic reactions.
Oh my gosh, I’m glad Elizabeth’s reasonably all right!
Hmmm. This may be the most helpful thing I have read here (and I’ve read a ton of helpful things here.)
Labor Day weekend, my husband was painting so and I was scrubbing cabinets in the same room. It was well ventilated and I was using no new cleaning products. After about an hour, I felt like my fingers were…stiff maybe? I continued. Then I felt like maybe my arms were a bit itchy. I was really in the groove so I washed my hands and continued cleaning/purging forgotten food. Then I looked down and realized I had huge quarter sized welts. I figured I’d take a shower. I took a pic before and sent it to my nurse mom. I took a shower. Did you know this is an excellent way to quickly distribute the allergen all over your body? I did not. I thought I was rinsing off the problem. I got out of the tub and my eyes were slits and the splotches covered my torso, neck, breasts, arms and hands.
At this point, I took Benadryl and put Benadryl cream on. That made me tired so I took a little nap.
I woke up in terrible shape and felt like when I had pneumonia (had to Take several breaths to feel like I had enough air). Still I dithered. I wasn’t wheezing. Was this really trouble breathing or was I out of breath? It couldn’t be an allergy! It was my own house and my own cleaning products. It’s a holiday weekend and would be a long wait.
I finally went to the ER. I got a similar treatment/scolding. Rushed to the front/doc immediately/meds. The nurse finally said “Hon, if one of your kids would have presented with these symptoms would you have hesitated to go to the ER?”
THAT was my wake up.
I’m glad Elizabeth is ok!
Holy shit! Congrats on not dying. I would have thought the shower was the ticket too!
That is scary!!
I’m glad she is ok, that is so scary! I have chronic hives and before I knew what the diagnosis was I just kept getting these hives and ignoring them because I had newborn twins and no time to deal with it. Anyway by the time I went to the ER with hives covering my body I had the same experience. I was given a PRIVATE room away from the standard ER (military hospital, so just curtains dividing everyone else) and the doctor was there immediately expressing disbelief that I hadn’t come in sooner. Mine turned out not to be an allergy, but apparently allergic reactions are the ticket to a no-wait ER visit.
I’m amused by the timing of this post. I broke my left pinky toe today. I’ve cracked my toes many times, but this one is major – the toe is pointing left while the others are still straight. Before, I’ve always been advised to just “buddy splint” toes together. And I spent a good while looking at pictures of broken toes and reading that some types of breaks on little toes actually require surgery… So after all that and consulting my friends in various healthcare fields, I’ve decided I should go to an urgent care facility tomorrow.
Even if I do need surgery or a proper set/cast, I still can’t imagine actually going to a hospital emergency department for a broken toe though! I feel like I would be on the receiving end of several eye rolls and the like! But if it was my son I might not care?
I’m glad you had a semi familiar nurse to help you and Elizabeth out. I only have one child – you’ve got way more mom experience than I do, and it makes me feel better that I’m not the only one who can get caught up in between making a big deal and not overreacting and doing her best!
One thing that has helped me a little to stop seeing the ER as a place to go only for heart attacks and gunshot wounds is that the other people in the waiting room seem to be there for ear infections and coughs. I realize this is because all the heart attacks and gunshot wounds have already been taken out of the waiting room—but still, it helps me to think that I am not the MILDEST case at the ER that day. (I do think the ER wouldn’t roll their eyes at a sideways toe.)
I encourage you to go to the hospital. I dropped a wood stove on my thumb (after TELLING my husband I thought it was too heavy to move. Harumph). Because I could still move it, I didn’t think it was broken and waited a MONTH to see the doctor at which time they basically said yes, it’s broken, but we can’t do anything about it because it’s started to heal. I now don’t have full mobility in that thumb.
Moral of the story – don’t be dumb like me (and listen to your wife if she expresses hesitation about heavy objects)!
This is so scary and I would have done exactly the same thing. And thank you for sharing it, because now I will be prepared in the future if I find myself with someone wavering over whether to use the epipen or not. SWISTLE SAYS SO running through my head always makes me feel 1000x more reasonable.
Aieeee, what you did makes perfect sense to me and yet…. aieeee. I do know the experience you’re describing, from bringing in a two-year-old who we thought had just tweaked his knee by slipping on a soccer ball but had actually BROKEN HIS FREAKING FEMUR. My husband’s father is a doctor, so afterwards it was funny, him describing how he was thinking this prompt and immediate treatment was just what he was used to, and then realizing that it was… not, strictly speaking, a good thing.
My 17mo son has a milk allergy, and his allergist SPECIFICALLY TOLD ME that if he was having two reactions (throwing up or diarrhea AND hives) then I needed to give him the epipen because two systems were engaged and that IT DIDNT MATTER if he was still breathing fine. Still give it to him and even if it turns out he didn’t need it, it won’t hurt him, but bring him to the ER any time the epipen is used… etc etc and yet I STILL WALKED OUT OF THE OFFICE fEeLiNg LIKE IT WOULD BE SILLY TO USE IT IF HIS BREATHING WAS FINE even though I had just been told otherwise.
I don’t know what in pop culture (movies, tv shows, ???) is causing all of us to feel like epipens are only for airway problems, but I guess we’re all wrong. Thank you for this post, it was a good reminder to actually listen to his doctor and not feel embarrassed about following directions. I’m very glad Elizabeth is okay.
That’s the VERY TERMINOLOGY they used at the ER: that “two systems were engaged”!! It made it sound VERY different to me than before, when I’d been thinking she might throw up just because her body was doing its self-defense thing or because the food made her queasy. No indeed: the GI SYSTEM WAS ENGAGED!
This is so, so helpful. My 13yo has a food allergy that was recently diagnosed & it’s a weird one. He is allergic to raw/fresh peaches, but apparently not to canned/jarred/heat processed peaches. It might be something in the peach skin?
I’m carrying around an epipen knowing theoretically HOW to use it but probably would not have known WHEN to use it.
And yes, we had the same, um, URGENT response in Urgent Care (much closer to us than a hospital ER) when we brought him in covered in hives and saying, “he just ate a peach and broke out into hives.” Receptionist on the walkie talkie, nurse took him back IMMEDIATELY, seen by the doctor within about 2 minutes. We had a far, far less urgent reaction by the medical staff when we took him to the ER with a concussion.
After a number of trips to the ER like you describe (hours waiting) I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic. I showed up covered in hives, lips swollen out like a duck, and thinking maybe I was having trouble breathing. I had the same experience, whisked in immediately. I haven’t had to take anyone to the emergency room since, but now I know to say, “he fell and might need stitches and ALSO IS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING.” :) I’m very glad she’s ok.
My husband took himself to the ER when the kids and I were out of town because he was having chest pains and it hurt to breath. He called as he was going in (presumably in case he had to say his final goodbyes), but had to get off the phone almost immediately. I expected to be waiting and worrying forever, but he called back in about 10 minutes to tell me that no, apparently he was NOT having a heart attack. I couldn’t believe they knew so quickly, which was when I found out that if you present with chest pains and breathing trouble, that see you pretty much instantly.
…but you would only say that if she were having trouble breathing, right?
I am just now seeing I threaded this wrong.
I’m so glad Elizabeth is okay!
Thank you for this post; this is good information to have!
I am SO GLAD everything is okay. And I feel like I would have responded the same way you did, considering the not-breathing symptom the Real one.
So glad she’s okay. I’m sorry you felt chastised. I don’t have a kid with food allergies but I’m sure I’d have thought the same as you did.
I’m so glad Elizabeth is okay!
I’ve only been to the ER twice and both times we were taken in right away. The first was for my daughter when she was two and had a dislocated elbow. I think we got in fast because there was almost no one else in the ER.
The second time I took myself to the ER for heart palpitations. Turns out, if you say you’re having heart palpitations, that is ANOTHER get in right away symptom. I didn’t even get a chance to sit down, they just led me right back. I was fine, I’m just very sensitive to caffeine, and can’t have coffee anymore, but I’m glad I went because then I could stop worrying that it might be something worse.
Yes, I found that out as well. My husband’s chest hurt and he was having trouble taking a deep breath, so we went to the emergency room (usually he doesn’t want to go). We walked in, he was holding his hand to his chest, and they whisked him back, no wait, no paperwork until later. Turns out it was a badly pulled muscle and we were embarrassed, but were told to never mess around with chest pains, ever!
Thank you for sharing this! I don’t have a kid with any nut allergies but as a Mom of 3 who tends to under react unless their heads are falling off their necks, I feel like I would have reacted exactly the way that you did. This was very useful information. I hope my kids don’t have kids with nut allergies, but if they do, I will be glad to know this (and tell them about it too.)
PS- In case you want a moment of commiseration, I, not once but twice, with two separate kids, sent them to bed for being whiny when it turned out they had 1) whiplash and 2) a fractured bone. Go me. ;)
When Oldest was 10 he kept complaining about a sore throat but didn’t have a fever or anything. Finally after three days I took him to the doctor mainly just to prove to him that he was fine and needed to go to school already. He had a raging case of strep. Sigh.
I’m glad Elizabeth is okay. That sounds like a scary experience, if also educational.
I’m so glad she is okay! And I can totally relate to this post. I have twins with tree nut allergies. A few years ago we were on vacation staying with grandparents and one woke up in the night and threw up. Then we gave him a shower and then he turned red and itchy everywhere (as someone above said, showers spread the allergen all over your body). Then the other woke up and throw up. We gave benadryl and debated the epipen (I thought yes; husband thought no) and then they calmed down and we put them both to sleep. No doc/ER. Months later when we took the to the allergist we had a similar, “why no epipen/ER?” conversation. And STILL after all that I’m not sure what I’d do if we had something similar happen again. So, thank you for the reminder that it’s okay to be responsive to these things.
I JUST wrote on my blog (come visit) about how I reacted to my seasonal allergy shots in a frightening way- yet kept driving home thinking it would pass. My litmus test: my airway is not closing. I had encountered less emergent symptoms like itchiness before this. Now I WAS panting like a dog because my heart rate was so elevated. Eventually turned the car around. I now own my own epi pens – so expensive, but the doc found a program for 2 free a year when I complained. Why not lead with thst info? Anyway it succeeded in freaking me out. Glad Elizabeth is OK.
@Ernie, we got the 2 free per year too! And I also learned to ALWAYS search for a pharmaceutical manufacturer coupon – most of the time you can get them far cheaper than with actual health insurance.
Hm. This is very educational information and yipes, I am glad she is okay. (but also: those of us who are not medical professionals *are not medical professionals* and we do not always know when something is Serious vs. Not Serious, and this should be more or less okay/expected by emergency personnel and doctors.)(Although they also don’t always know: I once had the experience of university health center nurses thinking that I was overreacting to what my body was doing and exaggerating my reports, and then the *nurses* freaking all the way out once they eventually saw what my body was actually doing in between times of quiescence. The case notes for that visit are hilarious as the tone keeps shifting all the way through as they’re heading from “total eye roll” through “oh dear” all the way to “we are now calling an ambulance.”)
I’m very glad that all is well now! What an experience. Our allergy doctor always hammers home that using an epi pen when you don’t really need it will not do any harm (other than the cost of replacing it, of course!), so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Here’s hoping the rest of your week is a lot more calm!
So at first I was thinking “I appreciate you posting this!” And I still do, but the reaction of the ER nurse/doctor is different than my child’s allergist told us. We have a peanut (and egg and shellfish) allergic child, and our allergist said throwing up once is not concerning, and a rash isn’t concerning…it’s just throwing up multiple times or trouble breathing to give an Epi pen. So who knows!!! They did impress upon me though that there’s no downside to giving an Epi pen and it isn’t something to be afraid of.
P.s. for everyone reading this with an allergy—there is now a new type of epinephrine injection (auvi-q) that is FREE for most people. Luckily our allergist told us about it! The allergist has to submit some paperwork for us , but it was basically no work on my part. Just wanted to let anyone know who has been like us and paid an insane amount for an Epi pen before.
I’m so glad she’s okay!
Listen, as a fellow lifelong tree nut (among other things) allergic person who has also never had a reaction Benadryl, ice chips and a nap couldn’t handle, I share the Epipen reticence. In fact I don’t even carry one anymore. This story is moving me a little more in the direction of “I should probably have one.”
I’m glad you had such a great nurse.
I am so pleased with your experience. As a former ER/ICU RN, I tried so hard to convey the humor and competence that you described. Your nurse sounds like a fabulous one! If you are comfortable giving that feedback (you’ll probably receive a patient satisfaction survey), she would appreciate hearing it and it can help her get a raise during her next review.
And, honestly, non-medical people are non-medical people and it’s okay to not know or to make a mistake. When my daughter would have croup and I would have to go to work, my husband would be asking, “But what do I do if . . .” and I’m like, “Be a regular parent. Call the emergency pediatrician line. If you’re really scared, call an ambulance. You’re not a doctor/nurse and you can’t be expected to make decisions like one.”
Also, any emergency personnel have a zillion stories about the guy with a heart attack who drove himself to the ER and the other guy with a sprained ankle who called 911. My own sister (an RN) drove her daughter to the hospital when she was lapsing into a diabetic coma. She told me about watching the mile markers so that when she had to stop the car and start CPR she would know where to direct the ambulance.
I’ve had a very similar experience before with my son. Didn’t know if I should use the EpiPen, ended up using it and then taking him to InstaCare and they were like, “UM. You should definitely go straight to the ER next time but since you’re here we’ll save his life.” Immediately taken to the back room, no waiting, doctor straight over (no nurse first), and pumped full of steroids and observed for 4 hours. Now I know the 2 systems engaged thing- doesn’t matter if difficulty breathing is one of them. They also told me a common symptom of an anaphylactic reaction is a sense of panic or doom, which is a good signal to me. My kid will be seeming ok, breathing fine, but will get the rash and feel panicky, and I’m like, “it’s go time.” I feel your pain- it’s a hard, ambiguous thing to navigate, but I definitely take it more seriously now.
Epi is a scary drug to give I think because when we see it on fictionalized TV shows, it is being shouted “PUSH 1 OF EPI” by someone who is also giving compressions in full blown CPR. I am a medical person and I have nurses who won’t give it to patients in need IN A HOSPITAL setting because… well, I don’t know. Pop culture has made us think the patient has to be circling the drain in order to need Epi. So, don’t beat yourself up too much.
I’m glad your daughter is ok :)
I’m glad Elizabeth is okay!
That is absolutely my favorite kind of nurse. She has seen it all and she isn’t impressed by much, but she’s still nice enough to make your experience comfortable. I had a nurse like that when I was in Labor & Delivery, and it was AMAZING.
I’m glad you will pull the ER trigger a little more readily next time. It’s okay to be “that mom” who “worries too much.” The ER staff can find you annoying and shoo you out if it isn’t really an emergency. No harm, no foul. I feel the same way about calling 911 if I find myself wondering if the situation warrants it. Sometimes you need the emergency personnel to define what is an emergency. How are non-emergency personnel supposed to know that anyway?! (My ex-cop wife says smart, thoughtful people are often way too hesitant to call 911, and they should do it sooner and more often.)
Whew! We carry an epi-pen for my son and I’m not sure I’d know to use it unless he was having breathing problems. Like you, I go with Bendaryl as the first line of defense (and in the case of his first anaphylactic reaction before we knew what his allergy was, likely saved his life). He is allergic to fire ants, which are very common down here in Texas! He was only three and it started as hives and swelling, so I gave him some liquid Benadryl and we started an oatmeal bath…and then his voice started to get husky and I knew there was swelling in his throat–the most terrifying moments of my life were in that car on the way to the E.R. My mom had to switch seats with me and drive because I was shaking so much. Same as you, they rushed us back and gave him steroids and said it was a good thing I’d given him Benadryl…ugh. Horrifying. I’m glad Elizabeth is okay!
Another time I got taken right back at an E.R. was when I had breathing trouble my first night home after my first c-section. They brought out a wheelchair and had me in a CT machine in minutes! (It was “only” fluid in my lungs and not a life-threatening embolism, thankfully.)
So glad that Elizabeth is okay. Also so appreciative that you are always willing to share. I think I too would have assumed that we wouldn’t need the Epipen until the “trouble breathing” part. You have just done an immense public service!
Thank goodness she’s okay! How scary! Also, I’m glad I read this, my son has an allergy to cranberries. The not-breathing thing would be what would also be my impetus to go to the ER.
I had to take my husband to the ER once for his pine nut allergy (we didn’t then carry an Epipen everywhere), and they were trying to ask him questions as he struggled for breath. I was like CAN WE GET HIS INSURANCE NUMBER LATER, HE’S TURNING BLUE.
Side semi-related story: shortly before my daughter’s due date, I went to the doctor for a regular check-up but it was the one they call the “vigorous exam” where the doctor puts her whole arm up there, you know the one? She told me I’d have some cramping, which I did, and it was really painful and went on and on in waves but I didn’t think I was in labor because I hadn’t passed my mucus plug. For some reason I had it in my head that you weren’t actually in labor until that happened, and it hadn’t happened, so this was just cramping. I eventually (six hours later) called my doctor and said, “Hey, can I take some Tylenol for these cramps,” and she said, “Hey, why don’t you go to the hospital and get checked out just in case” and I called my husband and told him to come home and take a shower and eat a snack and then we’d go to the hospital, meanwhile I’m wandering around the house breathing through these “cramps,” and finally (two hours after that phone call) I get into the car and sit down and realize OH MY GOD I’M IN LABOR and start screaming at him to drive faster, and that’s the story of how I showed up at the hospital 8 centimeters dilated.
Moral of the story: we can’t kick ourselves for not knowing medical stuff, we can only do our best. Now you know when to use the Epipen! And I hope you never, ever have to use it. <3
Very glad Elizabeth is okay, and thank you for sharing.
My oldest is allergic to tree nuts, diagnosed around age 8. So we’ve had an EpiPen at the ready for the past 10 years, and have never used it. I’ve never heard the “two systems engaged” rule and likely wouldn’t think to use it if he was not having trouble breathing! It scares me that we’ve never used it, because it’s caused him to be disengaged about the need to carry it with him. He’s really good about avoiding all nuts, reading labels, not eating baked good from a bake sale (so many people do not know almond flour and/or Nutella are made with ACTUAL NUTS!), asking questions at restaurants, etc, etc. But, well, he’s going to college soon. It worries me. A tip from our pediatrician is that the expiration date on the epipens only means they can’t guarantee 100% efficacy at that point, but that they are still very effective. I’ve also always been taught/told from medical personnel, that if you administer an EpiPen, the recipient should always be taken directly to the ER.
Long before he was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy, he had some wheezing issues when sick. At around 18 months old, he went into the ER for wheezing… and welp, we were scolded by one of the nurses because it was so bad that we “should have called an ambulance.” I think about that fairly frequently – like 2-3 times a year… was she trying to say my kid could have died? I question myself a ton, because it was my husband who made the decision that we were taking him to the ER. Full disclosure, we had just had our 2nd baby two months prior so my mind was maybe not functioning the way it should have been. But God, when I think of that… just enormous guilt…
Let me just say that I feel your pain. We were on a ferry once on our way to Mackinac Island and my 1-yo daughter was toddling around on deck. She grabbed this little (latched) gate in the railing and was kind of rattling it back and forth. I didn’t think anything of it, until the deck hand came around, saw what she was doing, took her off it, and steered her back my way while glaring at me. It only then dawned on me that that latch could have come open and just like that, my tiny baby would be in Lake Michigan. I *still* to this day think about/feel guilty about that, and she’s 15.
My own experience with the ER was when I had an ulcer. It hurt like CRAZY and I was basically curling into a fetal position every time I ate. My husband finally drove me to the ER where they ruled out appendicitis, cancer, gallbladder issues, and anything that would kill me. As I was leaving, and feeling stupid, one of the doctors reassured me by saying, “Don’t worry – you really don’t want to find out the answer in the ER.” I don’t know how true that is, but I *did* feel less dumb about going, and also grateful that whatever was wrong with me wasn’t life-altering.
I did not read the comments but rushed here to say that one time my son got stung by a bee and had hives all over his entire body and his eyes literally swollen shut, and while the ER did treat us an emergency, we were told that because his breathing was not compromised we are NOT eligible for an EpiPen. I even took him to our regular pediatrician after and she said the same. They also acted as though we were slightly over reacting bc we had already given him benadryl (they did give him steroids) and advised us to just bring him and wait in the ER waiting room next time (ie.. if his breathing is fine he doesn’t need to see us!). So which is it?!? This is part of why healthcare stuff is so maddening – the diverse opinions!
So glad Elizabeth is okay!!
My doctor told me recently, “If you are thinking, should I call an ambulance? The answer is ‘yes'”. (this is after I had a slip and fall. I’m okay, but the answer should have been “yes”, and I told myself “no”.)
I’m allergic to aspirin and I took two by mistake in my first year of college. It took about 6 hours, huge hives, and my lips swelling and throat starting to constrict before I would accept it wasn’t just going to go away by holding some frozen peas up against me… teenagers are IDIOTS.
And yes I experienced the same welcome to A&E (UK ER) – no queuing, some looks of horror and straight through to be treated. No epi-pen for me (I mean in theory it’s quite difficult to accidentally ingest aspirin unless you ask a friend for ibuprofen and she gives you pills and you don’t check, ahem.) But I think the first time you’re in that situation it’s *very* easy to underreact.
Ah, yes, the hesitation to the use the epipen. I suffered from it too! My son had a bad reaction to peanut – throwing up, vomiting and turning red, yet I didn’t think he was having trouble breathing. I didn’t give the epipen but went to the ER. They said his pulse ox (test that measures oxygen saturation level) was in the 80s, which is very low. I hadn’t seen the trouble breathing, but he was having trouble oxygenating his blood. The doc and nurses said, “Oh you would have brought him in,” when I said I couldn’t tell he was having trouble getting enough oxygen. Just use the epi-pen anybody out there reading this! It really does no harm. I’m saying this to myself as well as you. It’s scary. I’m sorry you went through this, Swistle! And I’m glad Elizabeth is ok!
This has been very educational. I would have assumed breathing problems = epipen too.
No allergies here, thank goodness, but my son was very given to croup. One night he was really struggling and barking and he was crying in a funny way that scared me, and I wanted to take him to Emerg but my husband was SURE I was over reacting. Remembering how totally dismissive he was makes me mad even now. I was really scared, was sure he wasn’t getting enough air, and finally I convinced my husband to at least take him to an urgent care clinic. Well they took one look at him and called an ambulance and my husband had to follow it across town to the children’s hospital. It was serious. Err on the side of caution: better to feel dumb in Emerg than to be dying at home because you couldn’t decide if it was serious enough.
The saying is Epi First, Epi Fast.
Epinephrine will not hurt anyone but it could save a life. I highly recommend following Red Sneakers for Oakley, started by a mom who lost her child to an allergic reaction. They had never been taught much about allergies and I don’t think had an epi-pen so now it’s their mission to educate everyone.
But the first time it happens, you sit there and think, should I? Should I wait? My son has had two bad reactions. The first to cashews when he was a year and a half and I was an idiot. I should have epipened and called an ambulance. I had the epi pen but didn’t know he was allergic to cashews. He had already tested positive peanuts and eggs so I had the epi-pen.
Then we were in Italy when he was 6 and my sister bought chocolate candy with peanuts that he got into. He told me immediately that he didn’t feel right but I didn’t know how much he had eaten or how he would react. Until the point, he’d never actually had peanuts. I gave benadryl and a breathing treatment. Then an hour later he started throwing up. I thought the worst was over. Half an hour later, sick again. I texted the pediatrician who luckily saw her phone and called me back as it was a Saturday morning. She goes, Are his lips swelling or turning blue? Yep. I vaulted over the car seat and gave him the Epi-pen. We then diverted to a hospital. It was so scary.
When we made it back to the allergist, he goes, now you know it’s no big deal. Use the epi-pen. But my child is so much more cautious about what he eats, which is good and bad.
Food allergies are so scary.
Both my older two kids have multiple food allergies so we’ve been to the ER several times, but I have also never actually given them their epipens. I felt the same as you – unless breathing was in question, then there was no need.
The most recent time we went was for hives and swelling combined, and that was the first time they told me that when “two systems” are involved, then that’s the time to use the epipen. So you are definitely not alone!
In other news – my oldest has just been diagnosed with scoliosis and we’re off to the hospital next week for an evaluation and, I expect, a brace fitting. Reading your stories about Elizabeth has been really helpful at tamping down the Panic of the Unknown. Any updates?
So glad Elizabeth is ok. I got completely the wrong idea about emergency rooms because the first time I went to one was when H was hit on the head by a porch beam and knocked out. The ambulance brought him right into the doctor and I had to rush to catch up. They are quite serious about head injuries evidently… It was a rude awakening the next time I went when Oldest bashed his chin and was gushing blood but not in any real serious condition. It felt stressful to me because he was bleeding but we waited at least an hour to be seen so clearly I know nothing about medicine or the ER.
I am finally at a proper keyboard and can therefore talk about the time Jack was stung by a bee on his lip, and I ended up taking him to the ER . I called my mom first to ask if I should for all the same reasons you listed; he’s not allergic, he could breath, etc, but his lip was swelling and lips are close to airways. So I took him and we were escorted right in and it turns out that it’s NOT good to be escorted right in at the ER! What you want is something that means it’s fine for you to sit and wait a while. Anyway, he got some steroids and we had to wait around in there for a long time. The doctors told me clearly that he did not experience an anaphylactic reaction, so they did not prescribe an epi pen or anything. Then our ped DID prescribe an epi pen “just in case” but I ended up taking him to an allergist for a second opinion, and she said he is at no higher risk than anyone in the general population of a bee venom allergy. Bee venom allergy testing is totally different from regular allergy testing, as it turns out; I had to reschedule the appointment because of it. And bee venom allergies are weird and different and risk is linked to age and it’s all very complicated, and I don’t know how allergists even keep this stuff straight. But anyway, she said he does not need an epi pen.
But the point of all of this is that I ALSO THOUGHT epi pens were for airway problems only, and I am glad you told me that’s not the case. I would have done all the same things you did and felt the same way.
I am feeling very comforted by all the people who have resolved to be more willing to head to the ER now.
Your post reminded me of this Facebook post from March 2019. It went viral, and ended up on The Today Show and many, many online outlets.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10217085205236409&id=1656913198
Thank you so much for sharing this. My daughter also accidentally had cashew last week. She was okay once we got the Benadryl. She hasn’t had a reaction in years and I forgot how she reacts. It can be so scary. I’m glad your daughter is okay.
So glad Elizabeth is ok, and glad that the triage nurse handed you so adroitly. Triaged your temperament- ha! That kind of thing makes such a difference. Also, we all know you are an excellent writer, but may I say it is little dialogues like the one between you and the nurse where you really shine. It’s like a script for a miniature play.